Slow Fashion, Personal Style & Sewing

Category Archives: sewing + handmade

After languishing on my make list for well over a year, this jacket made its way into my closet and I finally managed to get some photos of it that aren’t mirror selfies! These are once again courtesy of my 3 year old (equipped with a tripod).

The image below was my original inspiration for the color-blocking and I’m especially in love the fabric I found for the sleeves in the home decorating section of my local shop, Fabric Town. I was also surprised how close I was able to match the bottom portion with a designer knit from Mood (I got on a birthday trip in September of 2015…that’s how long I’ve had my eye on this!). The brown linen upper, gray linen binding and cream stretch jacquard I used for lining were all from JoAnn’s. My goal was a simply shaped statement jacket I could throw on over a variety of outfits and judging by how many evenings I’ve reached for it this week, I’d say I accomplished that. It’s neutral enough to go with most of my closet and colorful enough to make me feel fun and creative. Win win!

I used the same Butterick pattern (B6328) that I used for my “Used to be a Tablecloth” project since I knew it fit and was the basic shape I was after. Starting with View C, size 8, I modified the pattern to match my inspiration photo and to accommodate my preferred construction method. Per the instructions, only the front portion is lined but in my opinion it was easier and more neatly finished to fully line the body. These are the changes I made to the pattern:

lengthened the front 4″

matched up the front and back side seam notches and lengthened the back to match the front (the recommended construction required different seam allowances on the front and back so they weren’t originally the same length)

measured up 11″ from the front and back hem to create the color blocking, cut and added seam allowance to both cut edges

measured up 9″ from the sleeve hem to create the color blocking, cut and added seam allowance to both cut edges

omitted the collar piece

The construction was pretty straight forward. First, I sewed the color blocking together for the two front pieces, the back and the sleeves. I chose to line only the body of the jacket so I could wear it for multiple seasons, so I took extra care to finish the exposed seams inside the sleeves.

Out of laziness, I had off white thread in the bobbin and by sheer luck, the white stripe of the sleeve aligned exactly where the lace hem tape needed to be sewn down inside so the thread blends seamlessly into the outside of the sleeve…don’t think I could have planned that if I tried!

The body and lining were constructed as usual and with the lining placed inside I used handmade binding to finish the armholes inside and the front and neckline on the outside. The outside binding was a design decision because I felt like it needed one last element to pull all the different fabrics together and the inside binding was just the best way I could think of to properly finish the raw edges without creating a full sleeve lining. I didn’t originally purchase the stretch jacquard with a lining in mind but I’m really happy with the look and definitely the feel of it.

The one issue I ran into was with the pockets. The jacket was complete with in seam pockets, but even after tacking them down inside, they just made the jacket hang weird and added a ton of bulk at the widest part of my hip…not a good look for an already oversized jacket. There was a lot of unpicking to get back into the pockets to remove them but I’m glad I took the time. I’d thought to use patch pockets instead but was concerned that since the lower portion is a knit fabric I’d have issues with sagging there as well so I just left them out. Kind of a bummer, but with a preschooler in tow I generally have to carry more than I can fit in pockets anyway. This is my second project with failed pockets so I’ve got to get this figured out eventually.

As you can see by my living room, I love lots of color and texture so this jacket is 100% ME and feels amazing to wear!

We’ve had some very warm daytime weather the last two weeks which had me digging into my spring/summer storage box sooner than I’d planned, but I’m looking forward to going through the process I did for my winter wardrobe and preparing my next seasonal closet. Even though fashion week is currently showing Fall, I’ve collected my inspiration from the August Spring shows and hope to be back soon with that, plans for my next sewing project, and take-away’s from my first seasonal closet. I’d also like to note for the record that I haven’t stepped foot in a thrift store to look at clothes once this year…a true victory for me 🙂

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I’ve made a little more progress on my #2017makenine line up, beginning to tackle McCalls M7473 view D, the line drawing included in the image below.

“Once you stop learning, you start dying.” -Albert Einstein

The good news is, I’m alive and well. Unfortunately, I’m sharing another failure / learning experience. It was so disappointing because I sewed a muslin, made fit changes, altered the pattern and thought everything was good to go. Then I cut my fabric and mostly constructed the entire thing before slipping it on. Great fit! Pattern matching, not too shabby! Left side, love! Right side, hmmm??

It took a while staring at it in the mirror and thinking about the process to come to the conclusion that the underside, when cutting the front and back pieces on folds, must have slipped and come up shorter. I’m not sure how I want to go about salvaging the fabric yet but I see no way to fix this particular garment.

I really like the pattern and feel good knowing the issues weren’t due to the modifications I made to it, which were to lower the neckline, drop the notch on the side seam to create coverage down to hip level and extend the sides of the front panel to more closely match the shape of the back. The original pattern is only sewed to below bust level and I’m not about showing off that much skin at this stage of life or requiring the right under layer in order to wear it.

What really bums me out is after my failed initial attempt at the Anna dress using a similar type of fabric, I thought I’d done my homework and was more prepared to work with such shifty material. I didn’t pre-wash it and took great care to line up the pattern and keep the grain straight but just didn’t anticipate the underside slipping so much, even when pinned.

I’ve since read advice to use a felt board or flannel backed tablecloth to keep the fabric in place so I will try that next time as well as tracing off a full pattern piece rather than cutting on a fold. I’m feeling hopeful about the next version, but need to figure out what to do about fabric as I’ve used this piece down to scraps. So much to learn. So little time.

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Here I am, a little later than expected, with my 3rd project for #2017makenine. Below is a quick recap of my plans and today I’m sharing the Schnittchen Anna, a simple A-Line dress with kimono sleeves and side slant pockets.

Since this is my 3rd project, it makes sense that I’d sew it up 3 times, right?! Well, it wasn’t the plan, but that’s how it went down and I have ONE new dress to add to my closet after all that. I should add that the issues I had were 100% user error. The pattern is perfectly drafted. So, a brief rundown.

Round 1

For this version, I attempted to grade between sizes based on my measurements and quickly learned that reading blogs about other makers grading between sizes does not an expert make. Add an afternoon at a brewery before jumping in and I should have seen disaster on the horizon. Needless to say, my grading skills paired with fabric that was pretty shifty resulted in a dress with too many issues to correct. This will be cut apart to salvage what I can of the fabric.

Round 2

Don’t mind the un-showered selfie in my kiddo’s messy room

For this version, I re-traced the pattern using a straight size 38 based on my bust and hip measurements. My only modifications were to omit the patterns facings to finish with a back zip and bias facing instead and shorten the sleeves. This wasn’t a total failure, but the fabric feels a little too granny chic (luckily it was $2 at the thrift store), the pockets are too high due to my long torso and I’m not loving the A-line silhouette on me. Since the pockets and hem can be easily remedied, this will go in my fall/winter storage and may come back out to pair with tights, boots and sweaters later this year.

3rd Time’s a Charm!

LOVE at last! For this version, I went back to my traced size 38 pattern with the already shortened sleeves, dropped the pocket placement 3″ and took 3″ off each side of the hem, blending up to the new pocket notch. After these final adjustments, I was just able to squeeze the pieces out of 1 1/2 yards. I flat felled the side and shoulder seams, which resulted in the one bummer about this dress…no pockets. I found some instructions online for in seam pockets with flat felled seams, but I got mixed up and basically did the trimming and folding backwards. The only way I could see to salvage it, without risking the dress being too small, was to omit them.

It was an afterthought to drop the front neckline by 1/2″ to eliminate the closure, so on a future version I could cut both the front and back on folds to get rid of the center back seam. The plus side, when considering slow fashion, is I have the option to change the shape of the dress if I tire of the shift and want to fit it more in the future.

I had considered keeping some of the edges unfinished so when I ran out of thread before hemming, I decided to give it a wash and wear to decide how I like the frayed end. It hasn’t been washed yet, so the jury is still out. I love how easy this dress is to wear! No special underwear required, not see through, interesting alone but easy to pair with any sweaters, jackets, shoes or accessories in my closet. Definitely a win. My only concern with the fabric is it smelled of chemicals even after washing and drying the yardage, so in terms of ethical clothing this probably doesn’t score high on the environmental front. I’ll definitely be more mindful fabric shopping from now on, but this color and style filled a huge gap in my wardrobe.

I followed along with Me Made May last year but wasn’t ready to play along yet, so I’m looking forward to finding a challenge that will work for me this year. Be back sooner than 2 months…I think 🙂

After two months of unsuccessful sewing, I decided all this work deserved at least a shared post to document the realistic journey into making ones own wardrobe. Plus, I’m always happy to read anything I can find about a new pattern before sewing it up, so maybe this will be useful to someone other than me??

The first top was a test run of the Vogue 9116 pantsuit top. I didn’t end up liking the elastic in the back or the partial lining, the neckline is too high for my taste and it’s too short for my proportions even after lengthening. Basically, I wanted to change it so much that I may as well draft a pattern myself, but instead it was neatly folded and put away until summer was over and I now have no desire to add this jumpsuit to my closet.

The striped pullover woven top, Butterick 6293 View C, was a mostly successful sew except for messing up the construction of the overlapping hem at the side seams and having to wing it. It was a new technique and pattern shape though, so it was interesting to learn. The real issue is I had reservations about the fabric even before starting. I picked up a 2 1/2 yd piece from the thrift store for $2 because I loved the blue and brown, but sure enough, I never reach for it because of the pink and orange. This was a bonus in a pattern I purchased for the jacket and I like it, this version just didn’t earn a space in my closet.

After the semi success with the striped top, I cut a second one right away with big ideas for embroidery (inspiration here) only to completely botch the pattern alterations, attempt to sew from memory and mess up the side seams / hem intersection even worse than my first one! Total wash.

The Vogue 8909 joggers, upcycled from a garage sale Lucky Brand maxi dress, were going to be the lounge pants of my dreams, lol…until the fit was off, my elastic casing was attrocious and I decided I didn’t have the patience to redo it for something that would never leave the house.

Ugh, that color-blocked jersey dress, McCall’s 7383. I love the fit and it’s comfortable and flattering, but in my attempt to upcycle a blue tie dye maxi skirt that didn’t have sufficient yardage, I had to make a design decision that I really dislike now that it’s sewn up. So bummed because I love that blue fabric and I’m not sure I’ll get much out of the remnants even if I take this apart. BUT, the pattern works for me, so there’s that.

The midi skirt was thrifted, completely taken apart and resewn into a slightly different style. My mistake was thinking it was SO basic that I could cut and sew willy nilly and it totally didn’t come out right. This will be salvaged after taking it apart AGAIN and starting over.

I’ve decided that even though I’m dying to sew, I really need to step back and work through the creation of custom pattern blocks for myself. Draft, sew up, make adjustments. Get them just right, so when used to create my designs I won’t have so much pattern alteration to deal with after the fact. I’ve also realized that when I do purchase patterns, I should be focusing on those that will teach me specific construction techniques where my skills are lacking so I’m able to put together the patterns I make. Somehow, I hadn’t really looked at it like that before. It reminds me of that quote from Uptown Girls.

Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun.

Getting back to fundamentals for a while so I can create something worthy of it’s own post…and maybe sewing up that Schnittchen pattern I won on Instagram too 😉

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Summer fun has had me away from my computer but I’ve actually finished two projects since checking in here last. These projects started with a vision of a complete outfit including a racerback tank, lightweight kimono style cardigan and sashiko mended jeans, but the pieces will also mix and match with other things in my wardrobe.

Since I wear my cat shirt 3-4 times before laundering, I need another similar item for the summer and when I saw this 4XL 100% cotton screen printed t-shirt at the thrift store for $2 it was love! I roughly traced the cat tank to copy the fit and then cleaned up the pattern later. I would typically cut the pieces on a fold, but I find for upcycling graphic shirts, it’s easier to use a full pattern piece to place the image accordingly. When doing so, I realized the image was too high to keep the original shoulder seams (which is ideal), so I had to improvise and piece together the straps.

So…the straps. I pieced them together in order to center the graphic and was all pleased with myself using this as an opportunity to add design details (the 3 stitching lines across the strap). Then I attached the neck binding. It was too long and sagged terribly. Had a date with my seam ripper and the second attempt was still a mess. I could tell the worn cotton couldn’t handle the seam being removed and re-sewn a third time so I was forced to cut the entire binding off, losing width all the way around. My solution was to sew stay tape around the neck and armholes, roll to the inside twice and top stitch. This was mostly successful, but now that the strap was thinner than planned, the topstitching overlapped. Had I used matching thread it wouldn’t be so noticeable but I was feeling confident and thought contrast would be fun. Luckily, when I’m wearing it, it doesn’t scream “home sewing fail” like this close-up photo does and it was a good learning experience. I ended up using stay tape around the bottom and hemming in a similar fashion and I really like the way it hangs and keeps it’s shape, so not all was lost. I’ve worn this multiple times already styled a few different ways: for the beach, a typical day with my toddler and a date night. Very functional and I love the print which looks just like my home in Ventura…still trying to figure out if it actually IS a photo of Ventura. Not sure yet.

Now for my simple summer kimono. I used one of the many tutorials on Pinterest and basically cut a rectangle with a slit up the middle and a sloping side seam to create a sleeve, added some french seams and basic rolled hems and called it good. It took all of 2 hours from start to finish. I bought this fabric 16 years ago when I was a fashion design student at one of the shops in the LA garment district that sold $1/yd fabric with a 3 yard minimum. Pretty cool such an old cut looks so current and that my taste has stayed so consistent! The photo’s from Instagram, but when I went to take a proper photo my camera battery was dead to I decided to just use this and get on with more sewing 🙂

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Scored this 70’s sewing pattern at the local thrift shop for $0.69 a couple weeks ago and couldn’t wait to sew it up! I love all of Isabel Marant’s gorgeous versions of peasant tops and this looked like a perfect pattern to test out, learn some construction techniques from and then alter to a couple different variations for my wardrobe. I used fabric I had on hand from a bag of discards someone gave me just to test the fit, but as it turns out, it’s totally wearable. I’m not exactly sure what the fabric is, I even poked through my Fabric Identification Notebook from college in an attempt to figure it out, but it’s definitely synthetic, has a faux suede type of soft finish on the outside and I like the color. I opted for the version without the neck tie or belt and the only pattern modification I made was chopping the sleeve to align straight up from the side seam.

I made a couple of mistakes. First I forgot to trim the seam allowance when sewing french seams and had to trim off a notch that ended up poking through to the right side. Then I decided to overlock the sides and arms from front hem to back hem before sewing up the side seam and after the fact I realized binding would have looked much nicer, especially where the loose fit of the sleeve allows it to show from the outside at certain angles. Since my muslin ended up being a worthy addition to my closet, I’m planning on tearing out the side, armscye and front facing seams to bind those last edges and add embroidery or embellishment of some sort. You can see what I mean here.

And last but not least, the back. On a future version I think I’ll remove some gathering ease from the back and concentrate the gathers at the center but I’ve already worn this as is and like it enough to leave that part alone. Overall I’m happy with the length, fit and shape of the hem. It’s easy to throw on, casual and comfortable but makes me feel more pulled together than a basic tee.

I’m really interested in blending my artwork with fashion, bringing slow textiles and slow style together so I’d say this top is far from complete but a great blank canvas for further exploration and expression. I also plan to make another version where the pattern pieces are cut, printed and embellished before final construction but I’m hoping to find something to upcycle for the base fabric so I’m not ready to begin yet.

When I relaunched the blog, I was equally excited about all my sewing / learning endeavors but I’ve quickly become obsessed with making clothes and already have 4 more patterns to test. I’m really looking forward to printing, dying and embellishing to create my own textiles, making a garment and then using the scraps for stuffies and cloth dolls. I think when it comes full circle like that the inspiration will strike. In the meantime, my slow style series might see a little more action than the others, but we’ll see.